Posted by islesfan:

Posted by jaydh:

Posted by islesfan:

Posted by jaydh:

Posted by Bonn1997:

Posted by 4949:

Posted by jaydh:

I'm calling Baltimore Orioles. Teixeria is all about the money and the Oriole owner sees Tex as a Cal Ripken type(face of the franchise). I can see the Orioles beating anyones bid.

Clearly a Baltimore fan. Either that or that Knick self defeatist style has rubbed off on you. Always bidding against our own prospects. Tex will be in a Yankee uniform and so will Manny.

And hopefully so will Andy. If all that happened, then I'd give Cash a clear A+ for the off-season. I'd still wish we'd done the Johan trade but that mistake won't be part of his grade for this off-season.

Apparantly they didn't trade for Johan because they knew that sabathia would be a FA this year.....BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Why is that BS when that's exactly how it played out?

They say it like they knew they were getting sabathia when in fact, after outbidding the next team by $60mil he was still undecided. You don't pass up definately getting one of the top SP just because you might sign one who might be as good in the following season.

I completely disagree. They say it like they were taking a calculated risk that Sabathia would get to free agency and knowing that nobody would be able to outbid them, drastically increasing their chances of signing him. All while keeping with their philosophy of building their farm system and not trading away their top prospects if they can help it.

That's exactly how it played out. They refused trading away Hughes and Kennedy for Santana because they said they didn't want to basically, double pay for him in terms of signing him to a huge contract AND giving up prospects. They knew that another AL Cy Young caliber lefty was going to be available for just money this offseason and decided to wait and make a play for him where it wouldn't cost them their top prospects.

As far as "outbidding the next team", the only team they outbid was the Mets and their contract for Santana, which set the market price for an AL Cy Young lefty in his prime. With the attainable vesting options in Santana's contract, the Sabathia contract is a few million dollars above that. To sign a similar pitcher to a similar contract, but without having to trade top prospects for them, is just a great business decision.

Their initial $140M offer, on the day free agency opened, was a brilliant strategy. It kept other teams from even entering the bidding process, even though it was a lot less than Santana's total vested contract. Then when they needed to get a deal done, before Texeira signed and put the Angels into play for Sabathia, they upped it to a few million more than market price and got it done. Without having to trade Hughes and Kennedy.

So it boils down to: $157 million for Santana and their top 2 pitching prospects or $161 million for Sabathia. How could anybody disagree with what they chose?

You really need to present any evidence to the contrary because the evidence supporting the Yankees decision to forego Santana and focus on Sabathia is overwhelming.

Calculated risk? What calculator told them that $16 mil on AJ would be a better bet than $22 mil annually on Johan and some unproven kids who likely will never be as good as Johan? The same calculator that helpoed Brian Cash's $200 mil team finish in 3rd place?

Impacto Deportivo Manny Report
By Tim Dierkes [December 22 at 8:27am CST]

MONDAY, 8:27am: MLB.com's Bryan Hoch asked Yankees GM Brian Cashman about this report. Cashman responded: "Not true."

SUNDAY, 10:53pm: According to a report in the Dominican newspaper Impacto Deportivo, the Yankees are on the verge of signing Manny Ramirez to a three-year, $75MM deal. The report says negotiations are advanced and an announcement would take place Monday or Tuesday. If true, this would be an incredible scoop. However, there is reason for skepticism. The money and timing just don't seem right.

A look at Impacto Deportivo's recent history:

* 11/24/08: Reported the Braves as the mystery team in on Rafael Furcal, offering four years and $52MM. The offer was inaccurate, but they did nail the mystery team.
* 11/12/08: Correctly scooped the Damaso Marte signing.
* 2/21/08: Incorrectly indicated the White Sox reached an agreement with Bartolo Colon. Also incorrect on a similar rumor involving the Royals.
* 1/21/08: Correctly scooped the Octavio Dotel signing.
* 11/18/07: Correctly scooped the Luis Castillo signing.

Posted by jaydh:

Posted by Bonn1997:

Posted by jaydh:

I'm calling Baltimore Orioles. Teixeria is all about the money and the Oriole owner sees Tex as a Cal Ripken type(face of the franchise). I can see the Orioles beating anyones bid.

No team can afford to out-bid the Yankees. I really hope Brian Cash gets Tex.

I don't see the Yanks giving tex $200mil, orioles i can see it.

I don't the the Yanks giving him 8 years. Anyone who goes 8 years is taking a huge risk. We don't need to take that kind of risk.

Posted by Rookie:

As much as I've disliked Manny over the years, I have to admit that I'm drooling over him batting third in our line up....As long as it's two years with an option for the third.

Exclusive and confirmed; Manny will sign for three years and 75 million with the Yankees

Manny Ramírez Although the general manager of the Yankees, Brian Cashman has rejected a first report that will sign for three years and 75 milones of dollars to Manny Ramírez, the source of Impactodeportivo. com. gave ratified this Monday in the afternoon that the business goes.

According to the source of Impactodeportivo. com. gave, Ramírez is a need for the team.

The motive?.

Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu that represented near 50 home runs and 200 towed between the two, no longer they return and Hideki Matsui and Jorge Inn they had problems of health in the 2008.

Besides Robinson Canó comes from a year by underneath.

That obliges the Yankees to seek another hard bat that help Alex Rodriguez, and that is Manny Ramírez.

Manny is in Brazil at this time and to its return, immediately will go to the press conference.

The business goes.

Posted by djsunyc:

and this is downright ludicrous for tex:

7:20pm: Roch Kubatko of MASN Online learned from multiple sources that the Nationals "have sweetened their proposal to Teixeira, offering him an eight-year deal worth $178-184MM." He's been told they're willing to go nine years and there's been talk of ten.

Posted by BigSm00th:

good stuff from http://nomaas.org:

Interview with Rob Neyer
by NoMaas' Sensei John Kreese
December 22, 2008


SJK: Your Royals have been busy this offseason: signing Kyle Farnsworth, trading for Coco Crisp, and signing Horacio Ramirez among others. What are your thoughts on KC's offseason so far?

RN: They're well on their way to winning 80 games someday. Kudos!


SJK: Two players who have been involved in trade rumors this offseason are David DeJesus and Zack Greinke. Should KC try to move these players?

RN: I think DeJesus is exactly the sort of player a team like the Royals has to trade, because he's about to get expensive and he's never going to be better than he's been. A smart organization would trade DeJesus for a couple of prospects. Greinke's a bit different, because we may not have seen his best. That said, if he's not willing to sign a long-term extension the Royals should trade him, too.


SJK: The Mets have gone bullpen shopping, adding J.J. Putz, Francisco Rodriguez, and Sean Green. How much of an impact will these additions have on the Mets' chances in the NL East?

RN: The Mets didn't need to get a lot better this winter. They needed to get just a little better, specifically in the bullpen, and obviously they've done that. They still could use a left-hander (and for that matter a left fielder), but at this moment the Mets are the best team in the East. And as these things go, I'm not even sure it's all that close.


SJK: We'll assume that you believe the Sabathia signing is a good one for the Yankees. Let's move to a more controversial one in A.J. Burnett. He obviously has "electric stuff", but he has an incredible injury history and his stuff hasn't translated into "ace" performance (111 career ERA+). Is the contract he received from the Yankees justified?

RN: Of course it isn't. Not by his performance, anyway. And if his stuff is so fantastic, why doesn't he pitch better? But yes, it's that "stuff" that got him all the money. Because otherwise no team would have given that sort of deal to a pitcher with those numbers and only three 200-inning seasons in nine years.


SJK: Do you find it odd that the Yankees have given out huge long-term deals, but have drawn a line in the sand about the dollar amount of a one-year deal with Andy Pettitte?

RN: Yeah, a little bit. It's not like he's old or crummy. He's middle-aged by the standards of his profession (at least these days) and he's at least a league-average pitcher. I think the Yankees have been stingy with Pettitte because they believe he won't seriously consider other offers. My guess is that he does wind up with the Yankees, but for at least two years.


SJK: The economy was cited as the reason many players, including many Type-As, were not offered arbitration. With the way the offseason as progressed so far, do you believe the economy has affected free-agent activity and contract values?

RN: Sure, to some degree. But it's hard to figure how much is the economic climate and how much is just teams getting smarter and smarter.


SJK: In the movie Bloodsport, Frank Dux (played by Jean Claude Van Damme) fights Chong Li (played by Bolo Yeung). Before their match begins, Chong Li states, "You break my record. Now I break you. Like I break your friend." What do you think about that?

RN: I think whoever wrote the screenplay must have seen my entry in my high-school yearbook, senior year. Because that's almost exactly what I wrote about myself.


SJK: Gut reaction: Where does Mark Teixeira end up?

RN: Gut? He goes back to Anaheim.


SJK: If you're Tampa, what available players are you targeting?

RN: I'm targeting anyone who can hit but can't field much, and won't bust the budget. Milton Bradley and Jason Giambi might fit that bill, notwithstanding any chemistry concerns.


SJK: Is Manny Ramirez worth a 3-year deal at, say, $20 mil+ per year?

RN: Depends on how much "+" you're talking about. I'd love to have him for one year, maybe even two. But the further out you get, the harder to predict his behavior. And I certainly don't think he's worth anything like that kind of money if you can't slot him at DH in the out years of the deal.


SJK: Thoughts on the Nick Swisher trade?

RN: Love it. Swisher was terribly unlucky this year, and with just average luck everybody's going to think he's made a brilliant comeback. He's not a great hitter but he's good, and also offers Joe Girardi some real flexibility (a nice change from Giambi).


SJK: Supposedly, the Brewers and Yanks had a Melky Cabrera-Mike Cameron swap on the table? What is the benefit to each team, considering Melky Cabrera has regressed in each of the past two seasons?

RN: Melky's still young and still has a real chance of turning into a good major league player. Will he? I have no idea. But if I were the Brewers or the Pirates or somebody, I'd sure love the chance to find out. The Yankees don't have the patience for that sort of thing, though. Nor should they. Cameron? He's not the glove man he once was, and his hitting skills may not age particularly well. But he's better than what the Yankees had in center field last year, which I suppose it what makes him attractive to management. And really he would just be a place-holder until Austin Jackson's ready, which might happen as soon as next summer.


SJK: We have an Adam Dunn fetish and dream about him being the Yankees DH. Do you think Hideki Matsui would have any trade value at this point?

RN: Not unless the Yankees are willing to eat some of his salary.

Posted by islesfan:

Posted by TMS:

Posted by islesfan:

Posted by djsunyc:

and this is downright ludicrous for tex:

7:20pm: Roch Kubatko of MASN Online learned from multiple sources that the Nationals "have sweetened their proposal to Teixeira, offering him an eight-year deal worth $178-184MM." He's been told they're willing to go nine years and there's been talk of ten.

As long as he doesn't go to the Red Sox, I don't care.

As for the Manny stuff, I don't give it much credence.

that must be the team that Boras told Boston he had a better offer from... that's fine if they wanna pay that much for Mark Tex... they'll be paying the Yankees to take the rest of his contract off their hands in a few years anyway just like what happened w/ARod.

I went to a Nats game last summer. Cute new stadium. Walked up for tickets during the National Anthem and got 2 tickets in the 1st row behind the visiting dugout, for only $150. They desperately need something to energize that team and fanbase. Lots of money in that area and they desperately want to support that team. I just don't think that giving a ton of money to a single guy, who isn't a huge star, is the right way to do it. They might get a nice pop to start the season but if they're still losing it won't last.